'Centre's lack of planning caused fertiliser crisis'

The current fertiliser crisis, which is being faced by several states in the country, including Karnataka, is the outcome of the Centre's "lack of foresight and proper planning," senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said.

"The government's failure to announce pricing and freight policy is responsible for the present situation", he told reporters in Bangalore on Friday.

The subsidy burden, which was Rs 15,779 crore in 2004-5, increased to Rs 40338 crore in 2007-08 and is set to touch one lakh crore this year and the union government wants to avoid the burden, he alleged.

The fertiliser crisis is not restricted just to Karnataka, he said but was also present in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Congress-ruled Maharashtra and Chhatisgarh,he said.

Farmers in Andhra Pradesh had taken to streets. Medak district received 1500 tonnes of diammonium phosphate as against the demand of 7500 tonnes.In Kerala, Centre had alloted only 3,092.70 tonnes of DAP against a demand for 9148 tonnes for April, May and June. Maharashtra curently faces 60 per cent shortage, he said.

The Congress in Karnataka should therefore refrain from resorting to 'cheap tricks' and instead should stage dharna outside the Office of the Prime Minister and Congress President's office to ensure release of adequate stock of fertilisers to Karnataka, he said, referring to the dharna staged by Congress in the assembly.

He alleged that the state opposition had tried to project the fertiliser shortage in the state as a failure of the BJP government adding that the new government could not be blamed "for the policies and failure of the past government which has resulted in the current crisis."